The Bathroom Makeover: Part Three

With paint fumes still lingering in the air, and evening approaching on day one of our project, we turned our attention to the cabinets.

First things first, I removed the paint splatter china pattern handles and set them aside.

Then I wondered why I was setting them aside because, seriously, what plans did I have for them in the future? Then I threw them in the trash.

Next I gave the cabinets a thorough cleaning. I swear, I'm cursed to always live in places with grody old cabinets. Have you ever cleaned out 50 year old cabinets? Like stuck your full torso in to reach the sticky back corners, and collect on your sponge what you hope to be coffee grounds but which you truly know are mostly likely mouse droppings? I really hate it.

Once that was over with and I wanted to barf, it was time to sand down the surfaces. I removed the drawers and took them outside so I could work in fresh air for a little while.

It's becoming a fact of nature in my household I simply cannot look anywhere without a toy car behind in my field of vision.

God these are gross and terrible. Is it possible these ever looked nice and new?

With sanding complete, I began to paint with our chosen high gloss mocha brown.

While waiting for the first coat to dry, we tore off the floral patterned contact paper to reveal... gah!... more contact paper. This second layer came off without trouble in some places. In others, it left a liquidy glue goop. And in others, like in the furthest cabinet to the left, it appeared to have been adhered with some kind of permanent sealant developed by NASA.

After an hour spent peeling away the paper, molecule by molecule, I debated how bad it would really be if I just painted over it. I wondered what would happen next time I wanted to refinish or repaint them.

Then I was like, shut up, inner idiot. The next time anything happens to these cabinets it'll be a contractor ripping them out to make way for my jacuzzi tub.

And so I painted right over the paper. By the second coat, you couldn't see the pattern at all, though you could see the slight layer difference at the paper's edge.

By the time I went to bed, two coats were complete.

A few days later, once the paint dried and I did about three rounds of touch ups, I screwed in the new cabinet handles and drawer pulls.

Oh, it's starting to look like a real bathroom. Brings a tear to my eye. Stay tuned!